ellchr3
In the Brooder
Hi again all. I'm having some pecking issues, again. I had issues in January, had it mostly sorted out, and everyone was on the mend. Went on vacation this past week (my neighbor cared for them and collected eggs) and the feather pecking has exploded. I'm at a loss on what to do at this point. Here's the details:
1. My flock is 15 hens and 2 roosters
2. My coop is 4x8x5 (WxLxH)
3. My run was expanded from 128 sq ft to approximately 420 sq ft in March (see image for design).
4. I'm sure this is a topic for discussion, but i still feed my hens chick starter that's 20-22% protein. Oyster shell and grit are available free choice and treats are fairly minimal with something small every couple of days such as some leafy greens, strawberries, meal worms, etc
In January I used vetricyn, pinless peepers, and separated one hen who was bleeding and an obvious bully. Unfortunately, I lost the victim hen a week after reintroducing her to what appeared to be a sudden death because there were no other signs of health issues or injuries.
Fast forward to now... I thought all was going well and now I have MANY hens with bald spots on their neck and some are half bare on their back. There's no blood being drawn at this point. I go to the coop/run typically a couple of times a day and often hang out to just observe for issues and have not caught any bullies this go round. There are few feathers around in the run so I'm assuming they're eating them and I have seen them eat them from the ground here and there. From what I've read on here and other sites feather eating can mean a protein deficiency, but at 20-22% I wouldn't think that'd be much of an issue.
At this point I'll stop rambling and look forward to any questions or feedback to help with this situation.
1. My flock is 15 hens and 2 roosters
2. My coop is 4x8x5 (WxLxH)
3. My run was expanded from 128 sq ft to approximately 420 sq ft in March (see image for design).
4. I'm sure this is a topic for discussion, but i still feed my hens chick starter that's 20-22% protein. Oyster shell and grit are available free choice and treats are fairly minimal with something small every couple of days such as some leafy greens, strawberries, meal worms, etc
In January I used vetricyn, pinless peepers, and separated one hen who was bleeding and an obvious bully. Unfortunately, I lost the victim hen a week after reintroducing her to what appeared to be a sudden death because there were no other signs of health issues or injuries.
Fast forward to now... I thought all was going well and now I have MANY hens with bald spots on their neck and some are half bare on their back. There's no blood being drawn at this point. I go to the coop/run typically a couple of times a day and often hang out to just observe for issues and have not caught any bullies this go round. There are few feathers around in the run so I'm assuming they're eating them and I have seen them eat them from the ground here and there. From what I've read on here and other sites feather eating can mean a protein deficiency, but at 20-22% I wouldn't think that'd be much of an issue.
At this point I'll stop rambling and look forward to any questions or feedback to help with this situation.